If there is a problem with your sink or drain, it can put your life on hold. This is why so many households are happy to pay a significant sum to hire a professional to resolve drainage system problems.
The thing is though, this doesn't have to be the case. Rather than waiting for problems arising at home, preventative maintenance of your drainage system lowers the chances of a problem arising with your drainage systems.
This guide covers telltale signs of a problem with your drain, but it also offers advice on preventative maintenance, and how you can best care for your sinks and drains by stopping problems developing in the first place.
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Recognising the telltale signs of damaged drains or problems with your sink is vital. If you spot any of these problems, take action, and you’ll minimise problems with sinks and drains at home.
If you recognise one, some or all of these issues, there is a good chance you have a problem with your drain. They all create obstructions in drains which cause problems, and this is when nasty surprises occur.
It sounds simple, but regular cleaning of your drains makes sense. If you are a homeowner or tenant, there is no reason why you cannot undertake regular maintenance yourself. This goes for drains inside your house, and outside of your home. If drains are on your premises, it is likely drain maintenance is your responsibility, so carry out a regular inspection, and this includes septic tanks if they are on your premises.
Of course, it makes sense to check with local councils or water authorities to determine who is responsible for drain maintenance services before you do anything! If you don't need to carry out drain maintenance services, it is best to leave it to others.
While residents can carry out most drain maintenance themselves, it is another issue for commercial bodies. If you are in this position, you should have a team carrying out drain maintenance on your ground drainage systems, or you should outsource this work.
Any business operating in industrial or retail parks should undertake planned preventative maintenance work in their premises, clearing out grease traps and box gutters, but should also tie in with an overarching provider.
If you are unsure of who is responsible for maintenance contracts ranging from small to large tasks, find out, because you might be surprised at what work falls on you.
Cleaning a drain is messy, and often unpleasant, but it is an important task. This is because there are many benefits of regular drain cleaning, with the most pertinent benefits including:
By cleaning your drain, you minimise the damage it suffers, and this extends this lifespan. Over time, this saves you money, it leaves you feeling confident about the condition of your drain, and should ensure you enjoy consistent water flow.
Foul smells are unpleasant, and can lead to people feeling ill. If your drain is clogged or blocked with food particles, household debris, grease, fat and other blockages, your pipe and drains start to smell, and this can permeate your home. By cleaning your drains, you remove the blockage, removing nasty smells. Check out our article on smelly outside drains remedy.
If you are concerned about the speed of your drainage, and the negative impact slow moving drains have on your home, you’ll be glad to know regularly cleaning your drains will speed up how fast water drains away.
Not cleaning your drains increases the likelihood of problems arising, and this increases the chances of problems arising. Significant plumbing problems need resolved quickly, and this isn’t cheap.
The cost of hiring an expert for drainage services adds up, and can be prohibitive. Therefore, cleaning drains regularly makes it less likely you need to hire a plumber or replace your drains, and this is a cost saving that benefits you in the short and long-term.
If you have just had your drains cleaned and want to preserve their condition, or you are keen to never have to call on a professional plumber for your drains, it makes sense to be proactive when it comes to caring for your drainage systems.
A regular cleaning and maintenance schedule makes sense, but there are also other steps you can take, and here are some top tips to care for your drains and pipes:
These are all effective ways to care for drains inside a home, but you'll need other steps to prevent unnecessary damage to external drains or commercial drains.
It is one thing dealing with drainage system issues in domestic properties, but when you have commercial property issues or shared drains to contend with, there is a lot more work involved.
You'll likely work closely with local engineers, and they can advise on matters such as surface water gullies, interceptor pits, foul pits, anti flood valves and where drain pipe runs. In many commercial outlets, there will be control panels to consider, servicing entire retail or commercial parks. These issues need individually assessed to prevent the undesirable happening, which is why external support is useful.
Knowing who is responsible for these matters, and empowering them to prevent problems from arising is highly sensible. An authority should also keep a record of issues, and if certain things are regularly reported, this is an indicator that something needs to change. Sometimes, working efficiently is as simple as noting problems, and then removing them. Your business cannot afford to take risks with drainage system issues, so be proactive and care for your business in the right way.
While it is one thing to act swiftly if there is an issue with your sinks and drains, this is often too late to respond. Savvy householders are proactive in taking care of their drainage issues, and will undertake steps to minimise the chances of problems arising in the future.
This guide to drain preventative care and maintenance will hopefully prevent problems arising, ensuring you enjoy your home in comfort and peace with no nasty shocks or surprises.
